New tools, different ways of doing things, and unfamiliar people, this is what ABA (Assisted Behavior Analysis) therapy may look like to a child with autism. There is a lot to absorb for a young person when they begin this intensive type of treatment. Yet, the option of conducting the ABA therapy in a professional setting versus your own home is a choice many parents don’t know how to make. Though there truly is no right answer, the decision should be made after both options are fully examined by the parents or caregivers. The following is a brief list of the advantages to conducting your child’s therapy in your house.
1. Convenience
With in-home ABA therapy in Chicago, the therapist comes to you. This is easier and less stressful for families or those with busy calendars. There is no need to invest time and energy traveling to a clinic or treatment center. The therapy appointment fits right into a family’s routine without any real interruption to the schedule.Â
2. Addressing Certain Behaviors
There are certain behaviors that occur most often in the home and programs can be individualized to fit your specific living environment. Some examples of these behaviors are skills such as: getting dressed, toileting, mealtime, bedtime routine, or brushing teeth. When a therapist is providing treatment at your home, they will be better able to address such behavioral issues, as they unfold.
3. Familiar Environment
With in-home ABA therapy, the therapist can observe behaviors in the child’s natural environment which is their regular living space. This allows the therapist to get a complete picture of behavior as well as the child’s skills repertoire. When therapy is done in the home, the child has a chance to meet therapists or new team members in a comfortable and safe space. It can be distracting and scary to adapt to new people and unfamiliar spaces, with one or both of these elements having a negative impact on a child’s behavior. Therefore, eliminating the new space and conducting the therapy in a familiar environment may produce the best results.
4. Natural Reinforcers
Reinforcers are a key part of behavior analysis. The most effective reinforcers are those that motivate the child. Toys and activities that are already in the home are fantastic tools that therapy teams can use to increase motivation and reinforce desired behavior.\
5. Family Involvement
By having a trained professional provide therapy to a child at home, parents and other family members can actively participate during the sessions. They can also keep track of their child’s progress outside of the designated treatment sessions.
In-home ABA therapy fosters open communication between the parents and the therapist, allowing for both parties to better understand the needs of the child with autism. Therapists can work on social skills with the child and their siblings; while observing parent behavior and give data-based feedback to them on how they are progressing when working with their child.
6. Generalization
Conducting ABA therapy in the child’s natural environment will help them to develop the skills needed on a daily basis. For example, when teaching how to wash hands in a bathroom, the bathroom setup itself is important. Imagine learning to wash your hands with an automatic faucet then going home to find that you have to turn on the faucet to a comfortable water temperature. Teaching skills at home in the space and with the items that the child will actually use can speed up learning. Additionally, it can lead to the ability for the child to transfer these skills to other environments also known as generalizing. By learning and building skills in their  familiar setting where there is opportunity for reinforcement, children are more likely to continue these encouraged behaviors elsewhere.
7. At-Home
Safe, familiar, non-threatening, and convenient, these are just some of the reasons that parents opt for in-home ABA therapy for their child. On the other side, for the applied behavior analyst, in-home treatment means they’re better able to manage their young client’s behavior thereby enabling a more effective implementation of ABA therapies and techniques.